needs some ideas for an anti-tailgating device

[Jim Koepke]

I'd hold it on the roof of the car with one finger.

I bet I know which finger.

jtk

[Bert Kemp]

I just ride my pace in the HOV lane and they never tailgate they go around, greta thing about that hov is really no one messes with you. They can't cut you off , all they can do is go around.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Just to clarify - I'm not talking about your every day close follower.

I'm talking full blown tail gater - where you look in the rear view mirror and see no headlights, just hood, because they are so close behind you.

Close followers?

Pfftttt - I have insurance to deal with those clowns.

[roger wiegand]

So what do you do about the morons who insist on driving 10 miles an hour below the speed limit in the passing lane? Pass on the right? (illegal and dangerous) Flash lights and/or blow horn? (utterly ineffective in most cases) Sit there and stew?

Slowpokes in the left lane, or people driving _way_ below the speed limit on a two lane road and never allowing an opportunity for others to pass account for most of the aggressive tailgating I see.

There's also a regional thing--what's normal and polite in the Boston commute would be regarded as incredibly aggressive out in the midwest.

[Ole Anderson]

I see more and more folks that just like to drive in the left lane for no reason. Not unusual to see six of them lined up behind each other doing the speed limit, so I just stay in the right lane at +5 and pass them all. I consider the left lane the passing lane, apparently most folks don't. At least in SE MI. I have no problem if the are at +5 or are going to turn left in the next mile, or are at least passing slower traffic.

Hey folks, stupid road rage tricks and playing traffic cop will get you killed these days. Chill out, don't hold up traffic and live to see another day.

[Brian Ashton]

That's clever.

Passive, but is it legal?

Is tailgating or speeding? In other words who cares, I don't

[Brian Ashton]

Just get out of my way! Slower drivers should always pull over to the slow lane (talking about the freeway of course). Makes no difference if you are going the speed limit or even over it, just get out of the way.

And what gave you the idea I'm in the fast lane?

[Dan Hintz]

I used to carry a round rock about fist sized. When someone tailgated, I'd hold it on the roof of the car with one finger.

I keep my center cupholder full of quarters. When my top is down on the convertible, I simply hold up a quarter so the driver behind can see it (they're close enough to see the date, usually!). If they back off, the quarter goes back in the cupholder. If they don't, it gets tossed in the air. I don't believe I've ever had to use a third quarter.

[Brian Elfert]

I just ride my pace in the HOV lane and they never tailgate they go around, greta thing about that hov is really no one messes with you. They can't cut you off , all they can do is go around.

The HOV lanes here most of them have double white lines that are illegal to cross. You can only legally enter or leave the HOV lanes at designated spots.

[Ernie Balch]

When I taught my kids to drive we made a magnetic sign for the back of the car that said "Student Driver" People tended to back off and leave us room. Years later when one of the kids was visiting I was surprised to see that old sign on his car. He found that it worked in Boston traffic.

[Chris Padilla]

I see more and more folks that just like to drive in the left lane for no reason. Not unusual to see six of them lined up behind each other doing the speed limit, so I just stay in the right lane at +5 and pass them all. I consider the left lane the passing lane, apparently most folks don't. At least in SE MI. I have no problem if the are at +5 or are going to turn left in the next mile, or are at least passing slower traffic.

This is always a mystery to me. I mostly see it out on the open freeway. The rules seem to change and the right lane becomes the passing lane. I think it is because they do not want to get stuck behind the trucks, motor homes, and generally slower vehicles so groups tend to build up and no one, upon passing, will get over because there is a slow vehicle up ahead coming...soon. It almost forces one to pass on the right if one wants to go a bit faster. I have no problem with drivers hanging out in the fast lane IF they simply glance in the rearview mirror to ensure they aren't holding anyone up but it doesn't happen very often. I'll hang out there if the road is nicer, smoother but I'm always checking the mirror.

I picked up a brand new BMW in Munich back in 2005 (BMW has a cool program called European Delivery where you can pick up your fully US Spec car there and drive it around for 2-4 weeks and then they'll ship it to your dealer after drop-off). It was a pleasure driving on the German autobahn. NO ONE hangs in the left lane. NO ONE. It was shocking and awesome at the same time. Of course, it was also awesome taking my brand new 545i to the max speed of 250 kph (155 mph) on such a butter-smooth road.

[Ted Calver]

.... It was a pleasure driving on the German autobahn. NO ONE hangs in the left lane. NO ONE. It was shocking and awesome at the same time. Of course, it was also awesome taking my brand new 545i to the max speed of 250 kph (155 mph) on such a butter-smooth road.

I loved driving the autobahn! My Porsche 928S could hit 140mph (maybe more, but I chickened out) and more than once I had to bail out of the left lane for some exotic, flat as a bug, 'something' that blew my doors off!!

[John Coloccia]

This is always a mystery to me. I mostly see it out on the open freeway. The rules seem to change and the right lane becomes the passing lane. I think it is because they do not want to get stuck behind the trucks, motor homes, and generally slower vehicles so groups tend to build up and no one, upon passing, will get over because there is a slow vehicle up ahead coming...soon. It almost forces one to pass on the right if one wants to go a bit faster. I have no problem with drivers hanging out in the fast lane IF they simply glance in the rearview mirror to ensure they aren't holding anyone up but it doesn't happen very often. I'll hang out there if the road is nicer, smoother but I'm always checking the mirror.

I picked up a brand new BMW in Munich back in 2005 (BMW has a cool program called European Delivery where you can pick up your fully US Spec car there and drive it around for 2-4 weeks and then they'll ship it to your dealer after drop-off). It was a pleasure driving on the German autobahn. NO ONE hangs in the left lane. NO ONE. It was shocking and awesome at the same time. Of course, it was also awesome taking my brand new 545i to the max speed of 250 kph (155 mph) on such a butter-smooth road.

I discovered that the very similar looking "end speed limit" sign in Austria means something completely differently than it means in Germany. Here I am, wondering to myself, "Why won't these jerks get out of my way...and why do the highway signs flash every time I go under them???", while I'm barreling through somewhere between 130mph and 140mph. They never caught me, but I'm pretty sure they've got plenty of blurry pictures to remember me by.

[Kent A Bathurst]

So what do you do about the morons who insist on driving 10 miles an hour below the speed limit in the passing lane? Pass on the right? (illegal and dangerous) Flash lights and/or blow horn? (utterly ineffective in most cases) Sit there and stew?

You mean people with Florida plates, correct? They are the scourge of the interstate system..........

[Chris Padilla]

I loved driving the autobahn! My Porsche 928S could hit 140mph (maybe more, but I chickened out) and more than once I had to bail out of the left lane for some exotic, flat as a bug, 'something' that blew my doors off!!

My buddy snapped this pic to commemorate the moment. Believe me, I stayed at this speed for no longer than 10 seconds....maybe! It is scary as all get out at such speeds!!

545i-speedo.jpg